Mounting clip for vent window assembly



March 26, 1968 J. s. SALLOUM 3,374,577

MOUNTING CLIP FOR VENT WINDOW ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 5, 1966 INVENTOR. .7d77f65 5 54/74177 United States Patent 3,374,577 MOUNTING CLIP FOR VENT WINDOW ASSEMBLY James S. Salloum, Warren, Mich, assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 583,752 Claims. (Cl. 491-391) This invention relates to a window vent assembly for a motor vehicle. More particularly, it relates to an improved mounting clip for frictionally embracing the swivel shaft or post of a vent window of a motor vehicle.

A typical window vent assembly for a motor vehicle includes a fixed window frame rigid with the door structure, a vent window received within the window frame and having a lower border or frame member supported on the lower member of the window frame, and a swivel shaft depending from the vent window lower frame member and passing through the window frame lower member for frictional engagement at its lower end by a mount- 7 ing clip.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mounting clip for use with a vent window assembly; a more particular object is to provide such a mounting clip which is inexpensive to produce, easy to install, and afficient in operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and from the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a vent window assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are cross sectional views taken on lines 33, 44, and 55, respectively, of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in FIG. 2.

The vent window assembly seen fragmentarily in FIG. 1 includes a vertical window frame member 10 providing the forward guide channel for the vertically movable door window 12, and an angular frame member 14 suitably secured as at 15 to frame member 10 and receiving the vent window 16. It will be understood that frame members 10 and 14 are carried by, and rigid with, the door (not shown) of the vehicle. Angular frame member 14 includes a lower or horizontal portion 18 and an inclined, upwardly extending portion 28. The upper end (not shown) of portion 20 is rigidly secured to the upper end of vertical frame member 10.

Vent window 16 includes a triangular piece of glass 22 bordered at its lower edge by a lower metallic frame member 24. Window 16 is pivoted within frame member 14 by an upper pivot member (not shown) and a lower swivel post or shaft 26. Swivel shaft 26 depends from the lower face of frame member 24 and passes through frame member portion 18 for engagement at its lower end by a mounting clip seen generally at 28.

Mounting clip 28 comprises a single piece of sheet metal suitably bent and contoured to frictionally embrace shaft 26. Clip 28, broadly considered, includes a horizontal flange portion 30 and a vertical wall portion 32.

Flange portion 30 is rigidly secured to the underface 18a of frame portion 18 as by screws 34 and has an aperture 36 therein passing shaft 26.

Wall portion 32 extends generally vertically downwardly from one longitudinal edge of flange portion 30 and is slotted at 37 to allow it to be bent back upon itself about the axis of shaft 26 on a bend radius approximating the radius of that shaft to form a socket portion 3,374,577 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 38 at the bend rotatably receiving shaft 26 and a resilient arm portion 40 extending from socket portion 38 in parallel and confronting relation to the adjacent surface of the unbent section of wall portion 32.

Socket portion 38 bends around the axis of shaft 26, on the shaft radius, through an angle of approximately 270 so that arm portion 40, as it extends outwardly from the free end of socket portion 38, lies in a plane passing generally through the axis of shaft 26. The free end of arm portion 49 is bent over toward the unbent section of portion 32 to form a lip 40a for engagement with the adjacent surface of the unbent section of wall portion 32.

Arm portion 40 includes an aperture 42 and the unbent section of wall portion 32 includes an aperture 44 in general alignment with aperture 42. The periphery of aperture 44 includes a tongue 46 whose free edge defines a spiral pattern for coaction with the threads of a headed fastener 48 passing through aligned apertures 42 and 44. The free spiral edge of tongue 46 coacts with the threads of fastener 48 so that selective turning movement of fastener 48 moves arm portion 40 toward or away from the unbent section of wall portion 32 to adjust the frictional grip of socket portion 38 on shaft 26.

As fastener element 48 is turned in a tightening direction, lip 40a moves into abutment with the adjacent surface of the unbent section of the wall portion 32 to provide a fulcrum about which arm portion 40 may thereafter pivot upon further tightening movement of element 48 to enable socket portion 38 to tightly grasp shaft 26. It will be seen that socket portion 38 bends away from the unbent section of wall portion 32 in the direction of closing movement of vent window 16 (as depicted by the arrow in FIG. 4) so that, upon such closing movement, the frictional engagement of shaft 26 in socket portion 38 tends to close up the socket portion to increase the frictional resistance to such closing movement. The vent window thus tends to stay in the open position to which it is moved irrespective of the action of the wind acting at high vehicle speeds against the outer portion 22a of the window and tending to move it toward its closed position.

Socket portion 38 is selectively cut away adjacent its lower end to define a stop surface 50 extending generally parallel to the axis of shaft 26. Shaft 26 includes a pin or stud 52 projecting radially outwardly from the main body portion of the shaft for coaction with stop surface 50 to limit the opening movement of the vent window. Pin 52 also coacts with the upper edge 54 of the cut away portion of socket portion 38 to preclude upward displacement of the vent window relative to the mounting clip.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece sheet metal mounting clip for frictionally embracing the lower end of the swivel shaft of a motor vehicle vent window after the shaft has passed downwardly through a longitudinal support member carried by the door of the vehicle, comprising:

(A) a horizontal flange portion adapted to be rigidly secured to the underface of said support member and having an aperture therein to pass sa-id swivel shaft;

(B) a longitudinally extending wall portion extending generally vertically downwardly from one longitudinal edge of said flange portion and bent upon itself about the axis of said shaft on a .bend radius approximating the radius of said shaft to form (1) a socket portion at the bend r-otatably receiving the shaft and (2) a resilient arm portion extending from said socket portion in parallel and confronting rela' tion to the adjacent surface of the unbent sec- 7 tion of said wall portion;

(C) means defining aligned openings in said arm portion and in said unbent section of said wall portion;

-(D) a threaded fastener member adapted to be passed through said aligned openings; and

(E) means at the periphery of one of said openings for adjustably gripping the threadsof said fastener element, whereby said element may be selectively turned to adjust the frictional grip of said socket portion on said shaft.

2. A vent window assembly according to claim 1 wherein:

(F) said socket portion bends around said axis on said shaft radius through approximately 270 degrees; and

(G) said arm portion extends from the free end of 4. A vent window assembly according to claim 1 wherein? ('F) said socket portion is selectively cut away to define a stop surface extending generally parallel to the shaft axis, and

(G) said shaft includes a portion projecting radially outwardly from the main body portion thereof for coaction with said stop surface to limit the opening movement of the vent window; 1

5. A vent window assembly according whereinz (F) said socket portion bends away from said unbent section in the direction of closing movement of said vent window, whereby upon such closin-g movement to claim 1 the frictional engagement of'said shaft in said socket portion tends to close up said socket portion to increase the frictional resistance to such closing movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,584 1/ 1952 Carbiener 49391 2,949,627 8/1960 Holton 16140 3,235,902 2/ 1966 Meyer 16140 KENNETH'DOWNEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE SHEET METAL MOUNTING CLIP FOR FRICTIONALLY EMBRACING THE LOWER END OF THE SWIVEL SHAFT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE VENT WINDOW AFTER THE SHAFT HAS PASSED DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A LONGITUDINAL SUPPORT MEMBER CARRIED BY THE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE, COMPRISING: (A) A HORIZONTAL FLANGE PORTION ADAPTED TO BE RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE UNDERFACE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN TO PASS SAID SWIVEL SHAFT; (B) A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING WALL PORTION EXTENDING GENERALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID FLANGE PORTION AND BENT UPON ITSELF ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT ON A BEND RADIUS APPROXIMATING THE RADIUS OF SAID SHAFT TO FORM (1) A SOCKET PORTION AT THE BEND ROTATABLY RECEIVING THE SHAFT AND (2) A RESILIENT ARM PORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID SOCKET PORTION IN PARALLEL AND CONFRONTING RELATION TO THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE UNBENT SECTION OF SAID WALL PORTION; (C) MEANS DEFINING ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID ARM PORTION AND IN SAID UNBENT SECTION OF SAID WALL PORTION; (D) A THREADED FASTENER MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE PASSED THROUGH SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS; AND (E) MEANS AT THE PERIPHERY OF ONE OF SAID OPENINGS FOR ADJUSTABLY GRIPPING THE THREADS OF SAID FASTENER ELEMENT, WHEREBY SAID ELEMENT MAY BE SELECTIVELY TURNED TO ADJUST THE FRICTIONAL GRIP OF SAID SOCKET PORTION ON SAID SHAFT. 